Cody Thompson's NFL draft diary: Toledo Tough, Part 2

Cody Thompson's NFL draft diary: Toledo Tough, Part 2

In the second installment of Draft Wire’s 2018 NFL draft diary series, Toledo’s Cody Thompson talks about what built him into a “Toledo Tough” pass-catcher.

When I sent out my tape in July of 2012, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know where I would land or if I’d even hear back from anyone. One day at school, I was asked to come down to the office. There, I would soon meet my new mentor. Well, both of my new mentors.

Coach (Matt) Campbell and coach (Jason) Candle were sitting there waiting for me. It was relief somewhat seeing them there. Toledo was always a place I knew about and a place I thought of going. Coach Campbell’s offense was a wide receiver’s dream; lots of passing routes, fast-tempo playing style, loads of opportunities for me to be able to make a name for myself.

Toledo was home to me the second I arrived. Not just because of the short commute, or the smell of the summertime grass. It wasn’t just the rustic style castle like buildings or the humbling students who I would soon call classmates.

(Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images)

It was the way the coaches sold me on spending four years at the only place, looking back, that would have been an option.

They told me nothing was guaranteed. Each week, they’d start fresh, it didn’t matter what happened the week before, what mattered what would happen now. They didn’t care if you were a four year starter or a freshman just trying to make the team; nothing was handed to you.

That’s life, not just life of the game, but life in general. Any day, something could happen where your life changes forever. It prepared me for the future.

Knowing that life lesson made me “Toledo tough.”

One of the toughest things people will never understand is how long it takes to build a connection with your quarterback. Ever see the teams that consistently connect for touchdowns year after year, you can thank part of that on the relationship a receiver has with his quarterback. It takes time to build, yet people expect to happen overnight. It’s not just about knowing the routes, following the ball, memorizing his motions; it’s much more than that.

Building that relationship is tough. You have to be vulnerable with him. He has to learn to trust you, and vice versa. No matter if it’s fourth and long and a yard away from punching it in, you both have to look each other in the eye and know that no matter what happens, you’re going to have his back like he’ll have yours.

Since I arrived in campus, Logan and I have bonded to a level I don’t think words can justify. We’ve been best friends, we’ve been roommates, he’s been my right-hand man and I’ve been his. We’ll come home after a hot day of practice and just talk football. That’s all we’ll talk about. On the field, off the field, in the living room; it’s football 24/7. We talk about what we see, watch film on our TV late into the night, looking at the defensive schemes we can expect to see that week.

He pushes me everyday. It doesn’t matter where I line up, inside or outside, what route I’ll run or what my plan is after the catch. He’ll look at me, I’ll stare him down and we know we’re going to make something happen. I’d do anything I could to make sure I don’t let him down. I know he’d do the same. He’s in my head and I’m in his. We have a telepathy thing that only we can understand.

Logan Woodside has made me “Toledo tough.”

The hardest thing I think for any player is making that first play. The butterflies rumbling in your stomach, the sounds of the crowd chanting and raving just yards away, the weight of the world from practice and the ringing of the whistle still in your ear drum; it takes a toll on you. Once you get it however, it’s an unforgettable feeling.

I still remember mine as an 18-year-old freshman.

We were playing Central Michigan when coach (Derek) Sage sent me out with the play. It was a high-tempo, two-minute warning, no-huddle offense. I loved that scheme. I had played in a few snaps earlier that season but still was working on my footwork and hands to make that first grab. I was told run a comeback on the away sideline late into the game.

(Photo by Andrew Weber/Getty Images)

As I stepped out of my break, I felt it each in each step. The is was the play that I’d get my first catch. I knew I had the corner beat and I was ready for that ball. I broke down to cut back to the sideline, there it was. The leather pigskin flying in the air,headed in my direction. With hands ready, I caught the ball before being shoved out of bound. First down, Rockets.

It was a relief, to say the least. As a freshman going out there, you’re trying to do everything you can but at the same time, it’s a new game. It’s not like high school where passes are dictated to certain players. The speed of the game is in full-drive whether you’re ready or not.

Getting that first catch built my confidence up for sure. It relaxed me for the rest of the year. It showed me I could handle anything coming my way. Whether a hit from a top-ranked linebacker or press coverage from the nation’s best corner, I was ready to fight. I’m always ready to fight.